The End of the World As We Know It - A1 Prologue

[JoB]

I always wondered about Berit's "not-so-favourite" grandchildren.

I don't think that there are any. The two of them stuck in Dalsnes while there are "less favorite" relatives Rash-knows-who would be a pretty dark side-arc.

the tantalising prospect of appearances by Mikkel's many siblings got left for the fanfics, too.

How Bornholm Became Mad(sen)holm.

[lwise]

I don't think that there are any. The two of them stuck in Dalsnes while there are "less favorite" relatives Rash-knows-who would be a pretty dark side-arc.

It could be dark, but you could also imagine siblings who survive in separate locations, neither knowing the other has survived, finally reuniting, or their descendants reuniting, decades later when communications are restored.

[thegreyarea]

That part about the families forest is very interesting. I always assumed it as comprehensive... However the possibility that many more relatives could exist is exciting, and opens new paths for so many fanfics! 

What have you done, my friends?! How will I resist writing about Sigrun's half-sisters, the twins Sigrunn and Sigrund*? 

(* yes, both names exist, and are variations of Sigrun)

Now back to reading!

Page 8: Aksel survived!
And the dialogue between him and Sigrun is very funny!

The economical explanation for Iceland's self-isolation is interesting. I didn't recall that part, and makes some sense. I remember there was some discussion on the Forum about Icelanders somehow having "privileged" info about the Rash, because at this point the disease wasn't widely considered dangerous enough to justify such move. So economical reasons, at least in the beginning, seem to be a reasonable explanation.

My only critic here, considering how careful Minna's drawings were back then, is the cropped Iceland map on the newspaper. It's a small island. Why crop it? (Yes, I may be exaggerating   )
Also I love the water inside Aksel's hood on the last panel! And the way Minna connects several speech bubbles between panels  3, 4 and 5 (she had done that already on pages 3 and 4) Nicely done!

BTW it's just me or Sigrun has a lot of her grandgrandfather? Hair, nose...

[thegreyarea]

Page 9:
This page is a delight!
The composition is so dynamic, with panels 2, 3, 4 and 5 being so narrow! And the dialogue about Grandma dying or not, and also about the newspapper date!
We also see the first use on the comic of a small face inside the speech bubble to inform us who is speaking.
And the last panel, crossing the "border" to the previous page works very well!

[Jitter]

Grey, do not forget the male siblings, Sigurd, Sigurn, Sigurður and  Sigurðar.

But don’t get confused, Sigriður is a girl and she will be upset with you if you forget!

(There are more - it’s a popular name! It refers to word for victory)

[JoB]

How will I resist writing about Sigrun's half-sisters, the twins Sigrunn and Sigrund*? 
(* yes, both names exist, and are variations of Sigrun)

Keep reading the comments, you'll find many more ways to spell "Sigrun".
("Sigurn" being the most popular IIRC.)

ETA:

(There are more - it’s a popular name! It refers to word for victory)

Spoiler: show

Yeah ... I am trying to look past the obvious association (well, for a German) ...

The economical explanation for Iceland's self-isolation is interesting. I didn't recall that part, and makes some sense. I remember there was some discussion on the Forum about Icelanders somehow having "privileged" info about the Rash, because at this point the disease wasn't widely considered dangerous enough to justify such move. So economical reasons, at least in the beginning, seem to be a reasonable explanation.

It's a perfectly acceptable explanation in particular if you don't consider the pandemic to be "much" of a danger to infected individuals. Just look at all the nations now cutting COVID-related quarantine/isolation measures short so as not to have the economy suffer from lack of staff on duty. Where issues of the protection of the individuals turn less significant, protection of society as a whole takes the stage - and "the economy", read: money, is a prominent method to gauge the society's interests ...

My only critic here, considering how careful Minna's drawings were back then, is the cropped Iceland map on the newspaper. It's a small island. Why crop it? (Yes, I may be exaggerating   )

You might want to consider that the same issue of the newspaper already had a complete Iceland on the map of Europe here. It's not like the newspaper had problems filling their pages ... yet.

Speaking of maps, there's a particularly detailed one of Dalsnes right on page 2 that didn't get much obsessive analysis. (In my case, because I couldn't tell for the life of me which of the names on it say "secret book stash" and which are just random proper names.) Only "blåfjell" has been mentioned in the comments (and should have triggered an association in me, even though I'm not Bavarian).

Also I love the water inside Aksel's hood on the last panel!

... which is a continuity error, seeing that he had that hood up over his head in the previous panel ...
(Though Minna addressed that herself:

I have no idea how he managed to carry along that much water in his hood despite having it on while walking in, but somehow he did. It's a talent.

)

(Final note on the wet radiator: There is a second toppled vase on the windowsill, so it's safe to assume that at least part of the water underneath comes from it, just like with the more prominent vase on the left.)

Page 5, last panel ... heh, memories ...
(Sorry, but direct links to the specific ID comment(s) apparently don't work anymore.)

... how does Gunnar know that the grandma'll come with a cat on top (potentially literally, if Devil Mode is engaged)? The dialogue doesn't exactly sound like he knows her ...

[Jitter]

I’m reading the P 9 comments now and AndyW speculates about ”Icelandic gunships”, but dismisses it as too dark. And then there’s some JoB guy who thinks Iceland won’t be able to keep everyone out if rhey decide to come in numbers…

There’s also someone commenting that Iceland must have some extra knowledge (I think the same as you guys know).

AND a Sigrun misgendering, although Sirgrid the elder.

In other words, a treasure trove in the comments already by page 9!

[thegreyarea]

Yes, Jitter, the comments for page 9 are already a treasure! And to see some esteemed fellows like Eich, OrigamiOwl, AndyW and this guy, JoB... 

Keep reading the comments, you'll find many more ways to spell "Sigrun".
("Sigurn" being the most popular IIRC.)

Just imagine how strange (and also genderless) those names sound to speakers of a latin language like Portugues, Spanish, Italian... "Aksel"??? "Sigrun"???

Yes, I noticed the continuity problem... but on the same page!? I think Minna simply found it sooooo funny to have the water on Aksel's hood, and couldn't resist! And since she was working so much there was no time, patience or both to redraw the previous panel.

Pages 10 and 11:
An amazing end for the first part of the Prologue with that drawing of Dalsnes from the opposite angle in relation to page 2, and including the blocked road! Also the "fade to black" at the end of the page that we will see again (but didn't know back there), together with those fateful words in the last bubble, that jinxed everything!

I remember being impressed by the intense contrast between orange and the other colder colours on these pages. And I also loved the small joke with the Aksel wanting to get some more distance from the waves...

Also, I absolutely must put this batch of comments here:

Omicron*
Oh, bad things WOULD happen, Aksel...

   JoB**
   Yeah, someone stole the road sign already! :-D

      OrigamiOwl
      What a scoundrel!!! ;3

         MinnaSundberg
         I-it washed away? Or was blown away by the wind? x3 ...I think I'll go draw it in later, heh.

           JoB
            Nobody ever asserted that the road's blocked in exactly one place, right? >:->

            (The roadblocks in pp. 3 and 11 have more differences than just the sign, all the way to noticeably different road width / curve radius ratios, I'm afraid. :-} ) ***

* Wait, "Omicron" was already among us on November 2013??? What Minna knew about COVID and didn't tell back them?
** This guy again!
*** And here that guy "saved" Minna from the missing sign problem and therefore she never went back to correct it...

And I haven't read all the comments yet!

[Jitter]

One more thing about the Dalsnes arc from me: notice the gaze between Aksel and Sigrun in the top panel. There’s something there already!

[thegreyarea]

One more thing about the Dalsnes arc from me: notice the gaze between Aksel and Sigrun in the top panel. There’s something there already!

Yes! I agree.

BTW what is Sigrun wearing on her head? Looks like a Bowl 

Also, that wave covered Aksel in cold water. He must have been soaked down to his bones, but we don't see him trying to dry himself, not even a little!
So, friends from the great cold North, does it work that way? Are you immune to clothes soak in cold water adhering to your skin?
Because if it was me this part of the prologue would feature 2 or 3 pages more, all filled with my attempts to dry myself, wringing socks, standing still and staying silent* next to the closest heater, etc... (and no, Jitter, you, being the Water Mother, are not a valid example   )

*except for the sound of my teeth chattering

[Jitter]

Aksel is probably wearing a waterproof jacket. And Sigrun’s hat is just a round and… short? flat? … not high beanie, sort of like the one Jaques Cousteau used to wear.

Gøran’s sweater might seem like a weird choice, since we know it’s been raining a lot for a while already. But actually wool is mch more comfortable in wet weather than you’d think, it has to be really soaked before it feels wet. They probably don’t far to go so it’s normal attire for him too.

[JoB]

and this guy, JoB... 

Oooooh yes, that one. You're right to be wary of that nick; I have it on good authority that it has been involved in some particularly egregious sockpuppetery.

Spoiler: show

Yes, serious; at some point, someone was outright impersonating me right in the latest page's comments section. That's why I still have a PGP key ID+FP in my .sig here, where userids are harder to fake, though I'm not sure I'd still remember the passphrase, should I eventually want to use it ...

[Jitter]

So, Denmark! I really like this bit, especially Signe. Mikkel seems to have inherited something from her

This part perhaps has the most information and most text of all the comic pages? I, like many of the commenters, am still struggling with how are they supposed to know about the two week incubation period five days after patients 0 arrived? Minna was commenting on a question about this but I’m still not convinced.

It’s still raining a lot, so I was still slightly doubtful whether climate is going to play at least a part in the catastrophe. At least is played a part with Michael and Signe, and the umbrella (in my fics at least).

[dmeck7755]

So, Denmark! I really like this bit, especially Signe. Mikkel seems to have inherited something from her

A little from Michael also.  The snark definitely from Signe

This part perhaps has the most information and most text of all the comic pages? I, like many of the commenters, am still struggling with how are they supposed to know about the two week incubation period five days after patients 0 arrived? Minna was commenting on a question about this but I’m still not convinced.

Two weeks seems to be a catch-all for almost anything So it could be just that a good catch-all to keep people in quarantine. 

I liked the kitty.  In plate 18 when he is fired he is patting/playing with Magnus's foot.  I do that when I take my cat to the vet and they are fussing.  It was a bit of an awww moment for me.  Also the horns and mustache on the boss-from-hell is a nice touch

[lwise]

I, like many of the commenters, am still struggling with how are they supposed to know about the two week incubation period five days after patients 0 arrived? Minna was commenting on a question about this but I’m still not convinced.

Here's how I explain it:

"The illness was first diagnosed only two days ago. The first patients were a group of eleven illegal refugees arriving on a ship to Spain last week. "

The first patients were being smuggled in on a ship. The ship had a crew and other passengers, and spent a while trying to sneak into port. So these eleven are just the first infected on the ship, and they figured out the incubation time based on how long it took everyone else on the ship to catch it.